Heat up your house, lower your costs

Maximise efficiency by closing doors, insulating the attic or buying a flue blocker or EcoFan, says Kya deLongchamps.

This winter will see a considerable increase in fuel prices across the board that will hit us all, pushing up fuel poverty across the country (those spending more than 10% of their income on just keeping warm — estimated at as many as 160,000 households). You may not be in a position to shore up the walls with insulation or make other toe-curling investments, but there are plenty of ways to get proactive with smaller spends before that perpetual chill arrives.

Improving comfort levels without dramatically driving up bills has two key elements. It’s a matter of generating heat as economically and consistently throughout the house, and then retaining that heat as effectively as possible. Start with a low-cost DIY odyssey, with immediate benefits, plus a daintier, CO2 footprint as a cosy reward to your conscience as well as your pocket.